Coal
Natural Resource
The solid combustible ore. Gradually formed by plants through complex biochemical and physical, and chemical changes. It is energy source and raw material for smelting and chemical production.
Summary
Coal (previously called "Coal Ore") is one of the core basic resources. Found commonly throughout the galaxy, it can be harvested and processed on almost any rocky planet. Coal is a byproduct of centuries of bio-matter slowly compressing into a dense carbon mesh.
This makes it useful as a fuel source. It also can be further compressed and refined into other useful products.
It is mined with the Mining Machine.
It is smelted into Energetic Graphite.
Production Chain
| Recipe | Building | Replicator? | Technology |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
✖ | N/A |
Production Upgrades
Each level of the Veins Utilization upgrade increases the mining rate by a flat 10%, and reduces the consumption rate by a compounding 6%.
See here for a table of veins required to fill Belts per level of Veins Utilization.
Used In
| Recipe | Building | Replicator? | Technology |
|---|---|---|---|
   |
✔ |
Player Tips & Tricks
- When considering fuel sources, Energetic Graphite comes out slightly ahead (8-10%, depending) of the equivalent 2x Coal, even after discounting the cost to smelt it, in a Smelter. For your mecha, Energetic Graphite also has the added bonus of an additional 60% fuel chamber generation rate.
- Coal burns for 1s in the Thermal Power Station, consuming 60 Coal per minute
- 2.7 MJ * 0.8 fuel efficiency / 2.16 MW = 1 s
- Small quantities of Coal can occasionally be found from harvesting dead trees.